PARIS, France — Chris Johnson, coach of Jamaica’s national 400m female record holder Nickisha Pryce, is not fazed about her competing on the biggest stage of her life and is confident she will win a medal in the event at the Olympic Games.

“She is definitely a medal contender and that is the goal… to get a medal,” said Johnson. “But there are a lot of great athletes in the race, and we are going to respect them and go out and run our race very confidently.”

Pryce, 23, is having an outstanding season, having broken the national 400m record twice this year. She produced an exceptional performance to break the Jamaican record in her first Diamond League race with a time of 48.57 seconds in London, England, in July. She eclipsed her own previous record of 48.89, which she set at the NCAA National Division 1 Championships in June.

Johnson, who has been coaching Pryce for the past two years, noted that she has worked diligently in her preparations for the Olympic Games and is not daunted by the pressure of competing on the biggest stage of her career.

“I think pressure comes with the game because if you are going to run track and you are going to be at the Olympic level, then there is a certain amount of pressure that goes with that. So, it is really not about the pressure but how you manage it,” he stated.

“All year she has dealt with pressure. This is a bigger stage, but we are just going to focus on being excited about it and not really worried about the pressure of the moment. She has trained hard and worked hard to get here. She is prepared, and now we just need to go out and execute. We have respect for everyone and are not going to take anything for granted because everybody is a factor,” Johnson added.

Pryce will enter the Olympic Games as the fastest female 400m runner in the world this year with her time of 48.57. She is aiming to become the first Jamaican woman to win a gold medal in the one-lap event at the Olympic Games. Lorraine Fenton-Graham won silver in the women’s 400m in Sydney, Australia, in 2000; Novlene Williams-Mills took home bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games; and Shericka Jackson won bronze in the event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Johnson pointed out that Pryce, who recently became a professional athlete after graduating from the University of Arkansas, has exceeded his expectations this season.

“She has trained hard, she has worked hard, and she has a really good understanding of the 400 metres now with her race pattern. I think she has done a phenomenal job, and as long as we can keep her healthy, then the sky’s the limit for her.

“It is exciting to break a national record, and especially a Jamaican record in the sprints is nothing short of impressive. I am very proud of her right now, and obviously, we live for consistency,” he said.